


A Time for Change

by Traycer



Series: Alphabet Soup Fics [21]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alphabet Soup Challenge, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2014-05-27
Packaged: 2018-01-26 18:42:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1698671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traycer/pseuds/Traycer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scene for "One Hundred Days" that explains why Jack finally gave in and accepted the shirt Laira offered to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Time for Change

It took a long time to give into fate and accept the inevitable fact that he was stuck on Edora. Jack fought against it, unwilling to believe that the cavalry, also known as his team, wasn't going to find a way to come charging through the universe to save him.

But fate was a wicked old witch, laughing at his attempts to hang onto his fading faith as he spent his days helping the Edorans rebuild, while mourning his losses along with their own. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and still Jack held on to hope with both hands that maybe one day someone would come.

But now, two months after that fateful day, he stood on the edge of the marsh and stared toward the mountains in the distance, his heart finally resigned to the fact that he was being foolish. No one was coming to the rescue. He knew that now. He was never going to see his home planet again.

He tried to use the others in the community as an excuse for his refusal to give in, but they were finally getting past their anger and accusations that he was the one who took their loved ones away, and were slowly starting to accept him in their fold. It helped, he supposed, that Laira insisted that he was now one of them, not to mention his willingness to help in rebuilding their homes. But their acceptance of him made it hard to hang onto his stubbornness…

Crap, he thought with resignation. What’s the use? He needed to accept the reality of his situation. It had been over two months and no ally ships in site. No one was coming, he realized again. He was well and truly stranded.

He looked down at the homespun shirt in his hands and sighed. Laira had made it for her husband before he died but deemed it was better used by the living. Jack had declined the shirt when she first offered it to him. He wasn’t ready at the time to accept that he was stranded. He rubbed the material between his fingers, knowing deep down that it was for the best. His uniform represented the people who had gone through the Stargate and were lost forever. Those left behind would be far more receptive of accepting him completely if they didn't have the daily reminders of their missing family members. 

Besides, he thought with a wry grin, his old BDU shirt was starting to show signs of wear and tear. It was time.

Still, he turned his attention to the sky one last time, hoping for a miracle he knew wasn’t going to happen, then shook his head. He was stuck here for good. He might as well get used to it.

A cool breeze swept over his skin as he pulled off his black shirt and donned the homespun. The coarse fabric felt crisp and clean, which was a definite plus. He felt a little better about his decision. He could get used to this.

He grabbed his old shirt and took it with him as he headed back to the house he shared with Laira and her son. She was going to be pleased, he thought with annoyance. Hopefully she won’t make a big deal of it. It was hard enough to give in without having to deal with someone gloating over it.

She didn’t. She looked up at him when he walked in, took in his apparel, and smiled at him before calmly turning back to the table where she was kneading dough. "Garan will be home soon," she said as she punched down the lump in front of her. "He would like to hear more of the tales you mentioned the other day." She gave him an appraising look, then said, "I don't know if I believe the stories you tell of animals that stand taller than you and are twice as big around. Bears, I think you said they were called?"

"It's the truth, I swear," Jack said with an expression he hoped relayed his honesty. She just shook her head with a bemused smile and went back to her work. Jack left it at that, glad that she wasn't going to mention the shirt. 

He went over to his bedroll on the floor and bent to stuff the BDU shirt into his bag, with the thought that he will need it as a spare in the coming days, all the while knowing that he really didn't want to give everything up entirely. The door opened at that moment and Garan came in. He stopped when he saw Jack, his expression changing from confusion to anger to a resigned look, seemingly in just a few moments. Jack waited for him to say something, prepared for the worst, but Garan nodded quietly and went over to give his mother a hug.

"I am glad you are settling in," he said when he turned back to look at Jack again. "It is time you did."

"Yeah," Jack said with a nod. "I suppose it is." He smiled at Garan and then moved to the fireplace to stoke the fire as he started in on the routine chores he had claimed for himself. He had given it the good fight, but it was now time to face his fate. He looked back to see Garan trying to sneak something out of a pan while Laira gave him a look that dared him to go through with it, and Jack smiled at the exchange of familiar banter. This felt like home, he thought with a renewed sense of what he had done. Garan was right. Jack should have given in a long time ago. 

But then again... he stood up and looked at the radio he had left sitting on the mantel. It couldn't hurt to hang on to his old stuff... just in case.

He didn't have much time to dwell on that, because Garan came over at that moment to pull Jack toward a seat next to the fire. "So," Garan said with a grin. "Tell me about those bears."


End file.
